We British find it quite easy – not to mention fun – to sneer at America’s lack of history. While we can proudly trace our origins back thousands of years, the Americans can only muster around four centuries-worth of history.

But they’ve certainly packed a lot into a short space of time, as I discovered during a five-day trip around the state of Virginia on the east coast of America aboard the iconic silver Amtrak railway this autumn.

No less than former eight presidents called Virginia home, including the illustrious George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, while three out of every five battles fought during the American Civil War were fought on the state’s soil. And this being the home of capitalism, it’s all open to the public with a gift shop and glossy film to watch as well.

But visiting Virginia isn’t simply an extended history lesson, the state boasts a series of quaint towns, a varied dining experience (although the burger chains are there in abundance too), charming independent hotels and a vibrant wine and beer industry.

And it’s all an eight-hour flight from the UK to Washington DC, but don’t think you’re flying into the metropolitan hustle and bustle of New York city and the like, you’re heading into the deep south of America – something I realised as we ventured south from the capital city to Lynchburg, passing through Alexandria, Fredricksberg, Richmond, Culpeper and Charlottesville along the way.

Although the distance travelled was less than 200 miles, the change was dramatic. Standing on the marina of Alexandria at our starting point you can see the Capitol building in Washington DC across the water – a beacon of modernity and progress.

By the time we got to Lynchburg I might as well have been in Maycomb County in Harper Lee’s classic novel To Kill A Mockingbird it felt so stereotypically ‘southern’. Travelling through Virginia like this really leaves the impression you’ve spanned the length and breadth of America.

Perhaps it’s not surprising given the central role Virginia has played in America’s short history. And a good place to start to explore this past is at the mountain top retreats of Thomas Jefferson and George Washington.

Jefferson’s Monticello home outside Charlottesville has been beautifully restored and gives you a real sense of the man’s quirks and eye for design. He liked the state so much he built a second retreat at Poplar forest outside Lynchburg which is currently being restored.

Further upstate is George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate which attracts over one million visitors a year, making it the most visited historic house in the States. While the house is set in astoundingly beautiful surroundings, the sheer number of people mean your time inside is quite short.

It’s worth a visit if you are there, but if it’s a choice between Washington and Jefferson’s pad, I’d plump for Jefferson’s place every time. As well as viewing the grand homes of the former presidents, there is also the chance to explore the less cerebral slaves’ quarters in both.

It’s a thorny subject but it’s an unavoidable truth that the state was built on slavery and the Civil War and the fight to emancipate black slaves was largely fought on its soil. Virginia is littered with battle sites, none more moving than the tiny hamlet of Appomattox.

It was here that in 1865 General Robert E Lee surrendered his Confederate forces to the Unionists, ending the American Civil War and emancipating millions of blacks slaves. A few miles north in Fredricksberg, 8,000 unionist soldiers died in just a few hours at the battle of Marye Heights – the same amount as on D-Day – as they failed to break the Confederate line.

The old battlefield is open to the public and its museum and guides present their story in an understated but informative tone befitting this solemn site.

The town itself has grown up to the battlefield’s border and is well worth a visit as well, its historic streets lined with unique boutiques and galleries, including a working apothecary and traditional tavern. It’s not the only town you can hop off the AMTRAK for a look around either, downtown Alexandria once boasted one of America’s largest torpedo factories which has been transformed into a vibrant arts centre.

The area also has a thriving dining quarter, all of which can be explored on an organised dining tour. A bit further off the beaten track, although still easily accessible by train, is Culpepper. It’s a quaint little rural American town where locals still hang corn to every lamppost to celebrate the harvest.

There’s a charming high-street with a surprisingly good eatery at Foti’s which specialises in turning the local crop into hearty meals. And for the homesick there’s Miss Minerva’s, an English style tea room that serves over 50 different types of tea. Richmond, as the state capital, and the larger city of Lynchburg are more developed and also have plenty to offer.

It’s not only tourists that are being drawn in either – Hollywood producer Steven Spielberg is currently filming his latest blockbuster, The Office Seekers, in downtown Richmond. Just outside the humid city of Lynchburg lies one of over 200 wineries currently operating in Virginia. It is one of the state’s boom industries, and 50 growers have sprung up in the last 18 months alone.

Bottles routinely cost up to $120 in restaurants, but a lot of growers sell directly to consumers at a third of that price – and there is very much a ‘try before you buy’ attitude. From the state-of-the-art Paradise Springs winery outside Washington to the more rough and ready DeVault Family Vineyards outside Lynchburg, there is a wine, and winery, for all tastes.

As for where to stay, there are the usual chain hotels which offer perfectly pleasant accommodation, but my advice is to try some of the more quirky hotels. The Craddock Terry Hotel in Lynchberg was once the home of America’s fifth largest shoe factory, but has been sympathetically renovated into a five-star hotel.

It’s also easy to find as well given there’s a 30ft red high heel over the front door. Alexandria boasts the supremely comfortable Lorien Hotel and Spa into the town’s historic downtown suburb. If you stay, treat yourself to a meal at the Brabo. It’s not cheap but it takes a special chef to prepare pork so tenderly it falls off the bone rather than the need to be hacked away, as my attempts usually result in.

There’s more sophisticated dining on offer at the Virginia Museum of Fine Art in Richmond – which, incidentally, features a scale model of a sperm whale and the world’s largest collection of Fabergée eggs – but for a more authentic American experience try the Depot Grille in Lynchburg.

Set next to (and I mean next to) the main railway line you can chomp away on a generous serving of steak and chips as the mile-long freight wagons clatter past and a giant star spangled banner flutters away across the river. Rail is the way I hopped around Virginia. As with all of America, the distances between places are vastly greater than here and the Amtrak rail was clean, efficient and on time.

From Washington DC, two mighty lines transport over 30 million people annually, and prices are a fraction of what we are charged in this country. What’s more you get to see the countryside as your train rattles on by.

Virginia might not be the place you think of when you consider holidaying in America, but there’s more than you would believe tucked behind the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.

TRAVEL FACTS

United Airlines flies daily from London Heathrow to Washington Dulles Airport (www.unitedairlines.co.uk , 08468 444 777). Amtrak runs regular timetables services from Washington DC, New York and Boston south into Virginia, stopping at Fredricksberg, Richmond, Alexandria, Culpeper and Lynchburg. Round-trip fares from Washington DC start from $46 to Richmond. See www.AmtrakVirginia.comVirginia by Rail Tour is offered by Purely America – 0844 80 444 80. Prices are from £1,199 per person based on two adults sharing a room. Based on a midweek departure until March 31, 2012, (excluding December 15 to 25). Visitwww.PurelyCapital.RegionUSA.co.uk .